Amber is a hard, yellowish-brown fossilized resin. It comes chiefly from the resins of pine trees that grew in northern Europe millions of years ago. These resins were gummy materials mixed with oils in the trees. When the oils became oxidized (combined with oxygen), hard resins were left. These pine trees were buried underground or underwater, and the resins slowly changed into irregularly shaped lumps of amber. Lumps of amber often contain insects trapped as the resins flowed from the trees. Some lumps have air bubbles.
The largest supply of amber lies in the Baltic Sea area. It comes from a species of pine tree that is now extinct. Some experts consider this amber the only true amber. Central America has important deposits of amber from other sources. Most amber is mined from a claylike soil called blue earth. Amber is used to make beads, mouthpieces for pipes, and other ornaments.
The ancient Greeks called amber elektron. When they rubbed amber with cloth, it became electrically charged and attracted bits of lightweight material, such as straw and feathers. The word electricity comes from the Greek word elektron.
See also Amber Road; Electricity (History); Fossil; Resin.
